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Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
Cincinnati Bengals: Staff exploring how to get most out of the running game
- Story byJournal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
- Cincinnati Bengals: Staff exploring how to get most out of the running game
The Cincinnati Bengals adjusted their running game Sunday, Oct. 11, in a win at Miami, going back to more downhill runs out of shotgun and mixing the carries between starter Chase Brown and Samaje Perine.
Those changes proved effective, but coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said the staff will continue to base their schemes and game plans around the opponent on a week-to-week basis.
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Cincinnati had rushed for just 23 yards the week prior in a loss to Jacksonville, and it was obvious something needed to change. The Bengals ran 31 times for 117 yards on Sunday, and Perine was a big part of that with 68 yards on 14 carries.
"I thought our lineman came off the ball and created some space," Taylor said Monday about the running game. "We tried to control the perimeter, some of the defenders in their two-high looks with some of the perimeter stuff to pull them out of the box to try to create some good looks for us and thought the backs ran hard. They got some gritty runs in there sometimes. I though they did a good job yards after contact, getting us a couple extra yards in there as well."
According to ESPN Research, the Bengals used an inside zone scheme on 36.7 percent of the called runs, marking the team's third-highest usage of those calls since ESPN started tracking that data in 2024. Only 10 percent of the called runs were classified as outside zone calls, meaning they used more of a midzone rushing scheme to attack the middle of the line of scrimmage.
That style fits Perine's strengths well, and he took advantage of the opportunity. The veteran running back had a total of 13 carries over the first four games and surpassed that total with Sunday's stats alone, while also recording a receiving touchdown.
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"The coaches challenged the [offensive] line to create space," Perine told reporters after the game Sunday. "They created a lot of space, and we just had to run."
Now the question is, will Perine continue to take some of the load off Brown or was Miami an outlier?
Brown has been the team's starter since the 2024 season when he originally was expected to share the load with Zack Moss, and Moss ended up injuring his neck and only playing eight games. Brown finished that season just shy of 1,000 yards, but finally topped that milestone last year in his first season as a full-time starter.
A workhorse in college, Brown has shown capable of handling a full load, but early Sunday, it was clear he was getting bottled up. In the first half, he averaged 2.4 yards per carry, while Perine had 6.1 yards per carry. Those numbers balanced out more in the second half, as Perine finished with 4.9 yards per carry and Brown averaged 3.0.
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"I think we'll continually assess how that touch share between (Perine) and Chase Brown should play out," Pitcher said. "Again, every game's different. What type of scheme we lean into is going to factor into that. Obviously, what we ran more of (Sunday) leans into what Semaje does well, which is get downhill and run through contact. And so, I mean, Samaje's always ready at a moment's notice. We'll give the ball to Samaje 25 times if we need to. He's built for it, and he's a pro. If he gets it three times or if he gets it 20 times, he's going to get in the huddle on the next play, show up to work the next day and just do what he's asked. And that's part of why you love him."
Even if Perine sees more carries moving forward, the Bengals still need to find a way to take advantage of Brown's explosiveness. They shifted more attention to running under-center this offseason in hopes that would do the trick, but it hasn't been the case so far.
Brown leads the team with only six runs of 10 yards or more through five games, but his longest run is 13 yards. The NFL has seen 182 runs of at least 14 yards this season, and the Bengals are the only team without one.
Pitcher said the Bengals still strive to be more explosive overall, but the main thing is getting wins, however they come.
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"You strive for balance when it comes to run-pass, you strive for balance when it comes to personnel utilization, you strive for balance when it comes to scheme variation within the run game, in the pass game, so you're always wanting to be the most balanced and versatile version of yourselves," Pitcher said. "And again, it's like those are high-level goals that you set out to attain, but never in any given situation are we going to let a high-level theoretical goal get in the way of what it means on Sunday to win a game and what is the feedback we're getting in a game on a given Sunday. And that may lead us to calling more plays that favor efficiency over explosiveness and some week in the near future that may flip. So that's how we feel like we need to operate, and that's how we'll continue to operate."
